Yes, it was taken at my favorite coffee shop. Who needs stock photos when you are in the mood to pose?

I spent a day without my phone: It was fun and productive as hell.

Disclaimer: I love my MacBook Air and do my best work on the weekend, so I always had Internet connection. I didn’t spend a day in the woods with a notebook, which has been known to work for some authors.

Of course, I should mention that while I’m not attached to my phone; I’m rather attached to my Mac. So my phone doesn’t distract me much. Still, its absence proved me even more productive. And if my “did” list doesn’t impress you much, remember it was Sunday. And I started late.

Here’s what I got done:

I went over the guidelines of a publication I wanted to pitch. I learned that whether I was applying to be a one-time contributor or a regular one, I needed to use their submissions form and pitch three ideas in details. Didn’t know that. I had one great idea. I’ll keep brainstorming.

I made a list of my previously pitched ideas that haven’t found a home yet. I’ve pitched once or twice and then have forgotten about them. Shame on me for not keeping a better ideas log. (In my defense, I have too many ideas.)

I learned that I can only use HARO for myself if my publication, or the publication I worked for, had an Alexa ranking of 1 million or less. I’ll find experts other ways which of course include reaching out to Facebook groups run by and for industry experts.

I checked what article rights I had sold (for how long) to a publication. Turns out, there’s still a lot of time before I can resell. But most importantly, I can resell.

I went over the articles on the same site and realized my idea will fit.

I read several articles from Washington Post’s Solo-ish blog – a blog I love and am trying to break into. (Incidentally, as far as I know, it’s The Washington Post’s only section open to international writers.)

I reached out to the writers of the Solo-ish posts that I loved. I followed them on Twitter.

I proofread several pages of my TV pilot, A Change Would Do You Good, a 2014 Creative World Awards semi-finalist.

I bookmarked a ton of articles and markets to be read and studied later.

I read (and bookmarked) Tor Refsland’s post on how to write an epic roundup post. I also checked the links he featured on the same post.

Added to my to-do list for the week.

I emptied space for my start-up disk using iBoostUp app (free) as I’ve been neglecting transferring files to an external hard drive. Yes, I love my light and stylish computer, but a gigantic memory isn’t one of its assets. Also, I have too much stuff.

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This was my Sunday. I worked with a gorgeous sea view (complements of my favorite coffee shop) and performed my magic as lovely swing and soft rock songs filled the place.

This has been a busy few days. I’ve reevaluated my blogging goals, recovered from the latest bout of my capricious gastritis and collected three rejections. Since it was three rejections for three different stories, there’s a lot of hope on the horizon.

For one thing, I took a leap in trying to break into three publications I’ve not been published on before. I also went about discovering two great books, two interesting movies and got published on Write Naked.

Below are my notes on them. Read on and see if they might also catch your fancy.

(P.S. I used affiliate links in my post, so if you purchase from those, I make a little money at no extra cost to you.)

Non-fiction:

The Art of Creative Thinking by Rod Judkins, but I’ll be coming back to that book again and again. Stay tuned because I’ll be reviewing the book here soon.

Yes, if there is a fun, well-written and practical non-fiction book that covers creativity, productivity and time-management while keeping potential personality quirks in mind, I’m game.

Fiction: The Widow by Fiona Barton

Wow, this book was dark and depressing. Sure, it was engaging, but I don’t want to keep it. I don’t want to revisit or reread.

Apparently there are comparisons to Gone Girl. I only watched the movie and read the screenplay, but I can tell you that Gone Girl is not that depressing. Maybe because it doesn’t involve child abuse, kidnapping and potential child murder.

The Widow tells the story of Jean, a woman who remains the center of media attention after her husband, suspected child abuser/kidnapper/killer is killed in an accident. Did she really know her husband? Was he really guilty? And was she a part of it?

While the book isn’t as gory as Gone Girl, it’s definitely darker, and it’s enough to put off reading certain thrillers for a while. So do I recommend it? You decide.

Recently Watched and Enjoyed: Mr. Right, Cube

I’ve watched two movies: one to study, one for absolute pleasure.

Cube: In the name of studying screenwriting

Cube poster via wikipedia.

Cube was for studying mystery/sci-fi plot as it is famous for its low-budget, as well as original and captivating plot. While it’s not too gory on the whole, it has a few scenes that are not for the faint-hearted.

Was the plot as amazing as I heard? Well, yes. However, the acting was uneven, and *spoilers*, if you want a solid reason/purpose for the cube, you are in for disappointment. But it’s worth your time if you know that going in. I had fun, but I prefer movies whose plots have better reasons than “it’s the way it is.” (More on Cube in later posts.)

Mr. Right starring Sam Rockwell and Anna Kendrick: For Fun

Don’t be fooled by the name. Mr. Right is a usually hilarious and absurd romantic comedy, crime comedy and action comedy movie where a reformed hitman falls for a girl with issues, and together they form the perfect couple.

But of course she will have to deal with his “job,” and the men after him for different reasons. The hitman is Sam Rockwell, and the girl of his dreams is played by Anna Kendrick. If you love Rockwell like I do, it’s a must. His action/dancing scenes are my favorite, as well as most of his lines.

Of course given how many genres it’s tackling, it’s a bit uneven, illogical and strange. I loved it, but don’t be disappointed by wanting a straightforward romantic comedy or action comedy. Also, almost all characters are crazy.

You’ve been warned.

Recently Published:

Well, it’s not all rejections. I’m proud to say I’ve been published on one of my favorite blogs, Tara Lynne Groth’s Write Naked. Check out my tips on how not to make social media mistakes as a writer, and stay for other posts. It’s an invaluable resource for writers.

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That’s it. Please share this post if it inspired you to read, watch and/or pitch.

Don’t get worked up! I don’t mean cheating people out of something, or cheating on them. I’m vehemently against the idea. In fact, there are only very rare instances where I condone cheating, like when your husband is a cheating, criminal bastard who’s old enough to be your father, and your boyfriend is a smoking hot and much nicer Kevin Costner. Yeah, I did say rare (and pretty fictional).

What I’m talking about here is how much work I get done when I’m supposed to be not working.

Let’s define “not supposed to be working:”

You’re waiting for your client to do something, and he’s taking ages.

You’re stuck in traffic, and you don’t get carsick.

You’re in a meeting but only a quarter of your attention (or less) is required. You’ve been to tons of those meetings. Be honest.

You’re waiting in line.

You’re walking and the view sucks. Why not listen to a podcast, record your ideas or just enjoy some great music to unwind? I also act out my scenes in my head. Yes, really.

You’re waiting for your friends, and they are late again. Damn, how did these people survive without cell phones?

You’re in class, and your students are taking their exam. (It’s a small classroom, and you hear every attempt at cheating anyway.) You don’t need to be bitten by a radioactive spider to know who’s doing what.;)

You’re doing housework. There’s no reason you can’t plot your next scenes or paragraphs in your head. You can also dance, getting exercise and fun into the mundane. Productivity isn’t just about working!

A TV show you normally enjoy hasn’t aired a stellar episode. Or the episode has non-stellar moments.

…

The list goes on.

Basically, we’re talking about any time life throws you that is not your ideal or typical working condition, but you get the chance (and inspiration) to get work done. I’m the queen of stolen moments’ productivity.

Let me explain.

I live in a big and crowded city.

The traffic is a nightmare. We don’t have one rush hour; we have a tiny window of non-rush hours. (Think 18 million people spread over two continents.)

I teach English to students who don’t pay attention or don’t study to the point they can’t even apply some formulas to a slightly different sentence. (The students who do pay attention get my full focus.)

There’s a lot of waiting going on most of my days.

And I’m an impatient person by nature.

And I have slight ADD.

Many people I encounter move, think or do more slowly.

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So I end up with a lot of extra time on my hands. Not long enough to give me hours on end to work in an ideal environment (though sometimes even that). And I hate wasting time.

You’d think with this attitude and these conditions I’d never procrastinate. But I do. It’s just as ingrained in my nature. I’m a writer, and I get writer blocks. I suffer from self-doubt. I suffer from an on-and-off anxiety that I might never be as successful as I dream to be. (We’re talking about Nancy Meyers, John Grisham, Ben Affleck levels of success here). Of course, I also find ways to turn those bouts of procrastination into productivity.

But getting back to the point: Sometimes, even the most ideal conditions don’t prevent you from a writer’s block or a tendency to procrastinate. So why not make the most of the unplanned, non-ideal and unexpected moments to work, create and do?

This week, I taught 10 classes, sat in traffic for hours, watched like 5-6 TV series’ episodes, read 3 books (including Linda Formichelli’s How to Do It All: The Revolutionary Plan to Create a Full, Meaningful Life — While Only Occasionally Wanting to Poke Your Eyes out with a Sharpie), started two more books (crime drama/thriller The Widow and Gretchen Rubin’s Better Than Before: What I Learned About Making and Breaking Habits–to Sleep More, Quit Sugar, Procrastinate Less, and Generally Build a Happier Life), shopped, brainstormed and then more.

It’s actually more than I’d have done if I had had no classes, no traffic and all the time in the world to write.

Working when you are not supposed to gives you a thrill. A kind of satisfaction and pride. You didn’t have that much time and look what you have accomplished!

Sure, you can’t “cheat” and “steal” all the time, and neither should you. Some moments deserve all your attention. But I have better things to do than curse traffic if I have to sit in it for at least two hours every day. Waiting for anything can be a blessing, and yes, some of that exercise comes from telling the traffic to f*** off and walking two-three bus stops because….Well, summer is coming, and damn, I’ll rock that bikini one way or the other.

And as I’m writing this post, it’s sort of an ideal situation. I’m at my favorite coffee shop. I have a direct view of the sea and trees. All I have to do is to go to the balcony to smell the air. The music is awesome, and for the two hours I’ve been here, I:

read three posts from a publication I want to pitch.

checked my emails

wrote this post

did both work and non-work on social media

relaxed

played two rounds of a favorite word game

And I’ve 16 minutes more to go.

Had I been at home in these two hours, I’d have cursed myself for not going out in this gorgeous April weather, tempted by the comfort of my couch and possibly watched the new episode of a favorite show. (In case you think I watch too many shows, you’re right. But I’m also a TV writer, so it’s research, people!)

Sometimes you are just not going to do the things you are supposed to do. Find a way to use this to your advantage.

Don’t you love the productivity of stolen moments, and the procrastination amidst your productivity?

Are you a cheater too? Please share away in the comments. And do share the post in social media. You know you want to.